This invention relates generally to an illuminated sight, for use with archery, or perhaps even with shot guns, rifles, or other armaments, and more specifically pertains to the use of a fiber optic sight which is illuminated from a light generating source, to provide illumination to the tip of the sight and to facilitate its usage even under darkened conditions.
Fiber optic pins, for use with the sight, have long been available in the art. Such type pins can be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,861, entitled Sight Pin and Holder for Archery Bow.
In addition, a prior patent to the assignee of the invention disclosed herein, U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,801, discloses a fiber optic pin sight for a bow.
Related types of developments can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,526, also upon a bow pin sight, that utilizes fiber material as the sighting medium. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,081, discloses an aiming device for use on an archery bow, that also utilizes the fiber optic concept. There are a variety of other fiber optic types of means for use for sighting purposes, and which utilize various style of connectors for supporting the fiber optic in its application and usage, such as shown in the prior patent No. Re. 31,515. There are also many very early U.S. patents that disclose the use of fiber optics, even in conjunction with lights, or mirrors, and for use with the transmission of light. Such can be seen in the early patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,526, upon an Illuminated Mirror.
Other patents utilizing fiber optics, for use in combination with a light source, can be see in U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,638, upon a Spot Lighting Device. The use of fiber optics for a gun sight, can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,590. The sighting apparatus of Spencer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,127, shows the use of fiber optics in a sighting device. And, the sighting device utilizes a light source for its illumination. A sight illuminator is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,203. Another sighting device, using fiber optic or day glow plastics, or phosphorescent paints, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,763, entitled Aiming/Sighting Device. And, an illuminated sight is shown in the early U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,324, that also utilizes a light source, and fiber optics for transmission of the light. Sighting apparatus, with light emitting diodes at their tips, and illuminated from a battery source, can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,071. Another fiber optic pin sight is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,572, entitled Lighted Sight Pin for Archery Bows. Another illuminated bow sight is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,983. Another fiber optic bow sight, entitled Sight for Archery Bow, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,394. Pat. No. 5,201,124, shows another type of illuminated archery pin sight. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,765, shows an illuminated sight having a light collector serving a fiber optic. Another archery bow sight utilizing fiber optics is shown in Pat. No. 5,434,068.
Another patent using fiber optics as a light generating source, and for use for archery bow sight purposes, can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,861.
Of more recent origin, at least with respect to sights employed with archery bows, whether it be for target practice, hunting, or even for use as a hunting sight with the firearms, is an illuminated pin produced by a company entitled Hesco, Inc., of LaGrange, Geo., and identified as the Meprolight. This particular sight utilizes at the tip of the sight a very small quantity of tritium in gaseous form, usually 20 millicuries or less, and which are encapsulated within a supporting tiny vessel, and then further encapsulated within a metal casing, that only provides a small aperture there through for the generation and display of a light source. This particular sight, produced by this company, uses the bead of encapsulated gas as the tip and sighting portion of the sight as employed in combination with an archery bow.
The current invention contemplates the combination of a small bead of tritium gas, that may be exposed to the back end of a fiber optic wire or strand, and which transmits its generated light to the opposite tip of the fiber optic which becomes the focal point for sighting when used in combination with a bow, or other firearm.
This invention principally relates to the use of fiber optics in the fabrication of preferably a bow sight, or perhaps any sight used in combination with a hunting or target practice instrument, wherein the back end of the fiber optic sight, which may include one or more strands of the fiber optic material forming a multiple sight, incorporates one or more of a small vessel of radioactive gas which provides a source of illumination for the fiber optic sight to furnish a glow at the sight tip upon which sighting is made on a target or quarry during usage and application of this embodiment.
This invention contemplates formation of a sight, which may be used individually, or in combination with a series of such sights, and which may be adjustable in their mounting, as known in the art. But each sight incorporates a strand of fiber optics, at their tip of which is provided with a surface from which light transmitted through the fiber optics, whether it be regular fiber optics or scintillating fiber optics, will provide for a glow to facilitate the sighting of the instrument, particularly when being used and employed in low light conditions. Thus, the invention contemplates a holder for the fiber optic sight, to provide for the emplacement of its various components at those locations required to facilitate sightings. In addition, the invention further includes means for mounting to the back end of each fiber optic sight, a supply of radioactive means, such as tritium, in gaseous form, which may be contained within a vessel, and which has a small area that can be exposed to the back end of the fiber optic forming the sight. Thus, such radioactive gas is known to provide illumination, and this generation of light, when exposed to the back end of the fiber optic sight, transmits such light through the fiber optics to its tip, to facilitate its use for sighting purposes, particularly when employed and used upon an archery bow. It is just as likely, though, that the concept of this invention could be used in combination with other forms of sights, that may be employed upon firearms, rifles, shot guns, or other means for sighting. Hence, the principal object of this invention is to provide the use of a radioactive gas in combination with the source end of the fiber optics to furnish light for illuminating the tip of the fiber optic when employed within a sight to allow its usage for aiming purposes, even when used in low light or night time conditions.
Another object of this invention is to provide a holder for supporting a length of fiber optic in a sight, and which further mounts at the back end of the fiber optic a radioactive gas, that generates its own illumination for transmission through the fiber optics into its tip for sighting purposes.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a mount for use in combination with a fiber optic holder, and which may be integrally formed therein, and to which a capsule of radioactive gas, such as tritium, may be located for a provision of a rumination source for lighting of the fiber optics and allowing for its usage within a bow or other instrument sight.